TRAI Releases Draft Telecommunication Tariff (71st Amendment) Order, 2025 to Strengthen PM-WANI Scheme.
National
On January 15, 2025, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued the 'Draft Telecommunication Tariff (71st Amendment) Order, 2025,' aimed at rationalizing broadband tariffs for Public Data Offices (PDOs) under the Prime Minister's Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM-WANI) scheme.The primary objective of the draft is to address challenges impeding the growth of public Wi-Fi hotspots and ensure affordable connectivity for users nationwide.
- In August 2024, TRAI released the 70th Amendment draft, suggesting that broadband tariffs for PDOs under the PM-WANI scheme be aligned with retail broadband tariffs.
- On September 16, 2024, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) introduced key amendments to the PM-WANI framework, including the removal of the requirement for Public Data Offices (PDOs) to enter commercial agreements with Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) for internet connectivity and allowing PDOs to network up to 100 access points to establish a single Wi-Fi hotspot.
- PM-WANI, launched by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in 2020, aims to establish public Wi-Fi networks through Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide Wi-Fi services across the country, boosting broadband internet proliferation, with 18,19,674 unique users and 58.55 petabytes (PB) of data consumed as of December 15, 2024.
Main Point :- (i) TRAI proposed that the broadband tariff (Fiber to the Home, FTTH) for PDOs under the PM-WANI scheme should not exceed twice the retail broadband FTTH tariff of the same capacity offered by service providers, aiming to foster the growth of PM-WANI hotspots.
(ii) The measure is designed to create a sustainable ecosystem that ensures a balanced relationship between PDOs and service providers.
(iii) The PM-WANI scheme aligns with the National Digital Communications Policy, 2018, and Bharat 6G Vision, targeting the deployment of 50 million public Wi-Fi hotspots by 2030. As of July 2024, 207,642 PM-WANI hotspots have been deployed across India.
About Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
Chairman: Anil Kumar Lahoti
Headquarters : New Delhi
____________________________
